Chain-drive adjustment and casing for automobiles.



V L. S. GHADWIOK. A CHAIN DRIVE ADJUSTMENT AND CASING FOR AUTOMOBILES.

1 APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

ZZZ/.

L. S. GHADWIGK.

UHAIN DRIVE ADJUSTMENT AND CASING FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 24, 1908.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. S. OHADWIGK. CHAIN DRIVE ADJUSTMENT AN'D CASING FOB AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1908.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. MERE. WASHINGTON. U. C. umnsw. a. 0mm 00. Pump umumm UNITED STATESrarnn @FETC LEE S. CHADWIGK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'lOOHADWICK V ENGINEERING WORKS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CHAIN-DRIVE ADJUSTMENT AND CASING-.FOR A UTOMOBILES.

No. 9s0,531

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

Application filed. March 24, 1908. Serial No. 422,892.

To all whom it may, concern:

Be it known that I, LEE S. CHAnwIoK, citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new' anduseful Improvements in Chain-Drive Adjustments and Casings forAutomobiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to motor vehicles.

being of the side which faces inwardly or toward the machine frame. Fig.2 is a similar, view of the outer face of the parts constituting my."invention. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the invention.Fig. 4 is a view substantially in the line of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 areviews of details. j

In these drawings, 1 is a (part of the side bar of the chassis of themachine.

2 indicates one of the supporting springs which has the usual pivotedlink connection (not shown) with the. frame. This spring forms theconnection between the dead axle 3 and the frame.

The jack shaft is shown at 4: passing through a bearing bracket 5attached to the frame 1. On this ack shaft the driving sprocket 6 isfixed about which the chain 7 passes, said chain passing also about thesprocket wheel 8 Which is attached by bolts '9 to the rear wheel 10, andthrough these connections just described the car is driven from the jackshaft. jack shaft to therear or dead axle 3 is what 1 term a radius bar11 consisting of a metal bar having an opening at its rear end throughwhich the axle 3. extends, said axle fitting the opening closelv. Thewheel 10 is journaled on the portion of the dead axle which projectsthrough the radius bar.

The front end of the radius bar or reach is provlded wlth an opening at11 through Reaching from the V which the jack shaft projects, saidopening being elongarechas shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to permit the radiusbar to have movement of adjustment inrespect to the jack shaft and itsbracket for the purpose ofadjusting the chain as will presently appear.The radius bar is provided on its inner face, or the face next to thechassis with parallel ribs 12 \Vl1lCl1f11F111Sl1 V shaped guide ways toreceive correspondingly shaped flanges 13 of a block plate 14 which isassociated with orsupported on the bearing bracket 5 of the'jack shaft.This bearing bracket has a spherical enlargement at 15 and the block orplate 14 has thereon a similarly shaped shell or cup 16 fitted to thespherical part 15 of the bracket. This provides in effect a universaljoint connection between i the fixed hearing bracket 5 of the jackshaftand the radius bar, so that as the dead axle changes its positionin relation to the chassis frame, due to the resiliency of the spring,

the radius bar may accommodate itself to the changed relation of theparts bytipping either longitudinally or laterally, or both, as theoccasion demands, the shell 16 simply turning on the sphericalenlargement of ball 15 for this purpose.

As before stated, the chain wheels are located at the jack shaft andrear axle respectively, and for adjusting the chain it is simplynecessary to move the radius bar longitudinally so as to set the rearaxle farther from or closer to the jack shaft, it being borne in mindthat the rear axle fitting closely in the rear part of the radius barwill move toward the front or rear in accordance with the adjustment ofthe radius bar. For efiecting this adjustment the block or plate 14:supported on the jack shaft bracket has an internal screw threadedsocket piece or boss.16 receiving an adjusting screw 17 extendinglengthwise of the radius bar, and passing through an ear 17' 'at theextreme end of the radius bar said least so far as the longitudinaldimension of the radius bar is concerned, the. radius bar itself will bemoved forwardly or backwardly and thus move the rear axle together withthe rear sprocket toward or from the jack shaft and its sprocket andthus the chain will be tightened or loosened as the .case. may be.

The adjusting means comprising the screw is at the extreme end of theradius bar and toward the front in respect to the chain drive. It istherefore readily accessiportions may be drawn together by the bolt20-so as to clamp the bolt in any position in which it may be turned.The spherical cup or shell 16 and the plate or block 1% are formed insections as shown in Fig. 1, said sections being held together about theenlargement or spherical portion 15 of the jack shaft bracket by meansof bolts 21. One of. theguide ribs 12 is provided with a slot 22 cuttherein so that this guide rib may have a certain amount of adjustment,the metal thereof yielding at this point of connection with the mainbody of the'plate in order to make this adjustment which is effected bymeans of a screw 23 passing through an ear 24 formed on the radius bar.

Thisear is split at25 and this split portion may be drawn together by abolt 26 so as to clamp the adjusting screw 23 securely in place. Bymeans of this adjusting screw the guideway 12 at one side of the block14% may be adjusted to take up wear and to hold the block 14 I and theradius bar in firm though adjustable contact to prevent rattling at thispoint. It will be seen from the above that the radius bar is firmlysupported upon the jack shaft though it is permitted to have adjustmentautomatically both longitudinally and laterally to accommodate itself tothe varying relations be- '7 tween the rear axle and the frame, due tothe yielding of the spring connecting these parts and in adjusting thechain drive the radius bar is adjusted as a whole in relation to thejack shaft and thus increases or cli- 5 minishes the distance betweenthe sprocket on said jack shaft and that which is connect ed with therear wheel. I do not of course limit myself to theuse of a dead axle asthe other well known form of drive may be em- T ployed in which thesprocket wheel is connected with the live axle at the rear.

In order to protect the chain and sprocket I provide a chain casingwhich is carried bodily by the radius bar and is adjustable as one bodytherewith. This chain casing is formed of light material, such asaluminum,

in two sections, each section extending longitudinally from end to endof the radius bar. These sections are indicated at 25 25 and on theirinner sides or the sides which are next to the frame of the machine theyare each secured to the radius bar by means of bolts and nuts at 26. Theradius bar is preferably formed with a rib 27 on its outer face toafford a bearing for the edges of the sections of the casing. The outersides of the sections of the casing are adapted to interlock with eachother as shown at 28, for which purpose the upper section of the easingis provided with a depending flange 29 secured thereto, forming a spacebetween itself and the main portion of the side of this section, inwhich space the upper edge of the outer side of the lower section of thecasing fits. The outer portions of the upper and lower sections of thecasing are held at the points 32, 33, by screws or fastening de vicespassing through ears 34 on the sections. It will be observed that whilethe chain casing is wholly supported by the radius bar and completelyincloses the sprocket wheels and the chain, the adjusting devices forthe radius bar are located wholly outside of the chain casing and arethus accessible at all times without disturbing in any way the chaincasing in relation to the radius bar upon which it is supported. Iprovide openings in the upper and lower parts of the chain casing forthe introduction and removal of lubricating material, these openingsbeing provided with nipples 33 which are closed by caps 34 screwedthereon.

At the point where the shell of the sprocket wheel 8 passes out throughthe front of the chain casing, I provide a flexible or yielding packingstrip 85 held between the shell of the casing and a ring or strip 86riveted thereto, the edge of this material bearing upon the barrel ofthe sprocket wheel to make a tight joint at this point to exclude dust,and for a similar purpose I provide a cap 37 secured about the opening38 through which the end of the ack shaft 5 projects. The chain andsprockets are thus completely protected.

1 utilize the radius bar or reach as a support for the brake mechanism.This brake mechanism may be of any ordinary form and I have shown as oneway of carrying out this part of my invention a brake member which mayconsist of two sections 39 39 pivotally supported at 40 to the enlargedor circular rear head or portion etl of the radius bar. The sections ofthe brake member may be forced outwardly to bear upon the interior ofthe sprocket wheel or shell by means of a lever pivoted to the head ofthe radius bar at 412 and connected by a link 48 with toggle arms 14;,which are pivotally connected to studs or bolts 41:5, which pass'throughslots 16 formed in the head of the radius bar, the said bolts or pinsbeing connected with the sections of the brake member. It will beobserved that the head or enlarged portion of the radius bar is ofdished or concaved formation on its inner face and that the leverandtoggle connections are located in the recess, thus provided,

while the brake is arranged on the outer face of the head of the radiusbar, the connections between the operating means and the brake extendingthrough the slots before mentioned in the head of the radius bar.

I do not limit myself to any particular form of brake as this in itselfforms no part of my invention, but my invention here resides broadly inthe utilization of the radius bar as a support for the brake mechanism.

I claim:

1. In combination with the frame the axle and the ack or driving shaftand the chain, and sprocket connections between them, a radius barextending radially from the axle to the said shaft, a bracket throughwhich the drivingshaft passes, and means for supporting theradius barfrom, and adjusting the same longitudinally in relation to, the saidbracket, said radius bar having a connection with said bracket slidingin a direction longitudinally of the radius bar substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination in a motor vehicle, a fra-n'ie, the jack shaft andaxle, the chain and sprocket wheels, a bar extending from the axle, asupport for the front end of the said bar carried by the frame and asliding and swivel connection between the front end of the said bar andits support with means for adjusting said bar in relation to the saidsupport, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the frame, the jack or driving shaft and theaxle, the chain and sprocket wheels, a supporting bracket attached tothe frame and through which the jack shaft passes, a bar extending fromthe axle and having a sliding and swivel connection with the saidsupporting bracket and means for adjusting the bar in relation to thesupporting bracket, the sliding connection enabling the-bar to beadjusted longitudinally and the swivel connection allowing for lateralturning movement of the bar on said support substantially as described.

4. In combination with the ack shaft and axle, a bracket through whichthe jack shaft extends, the sprocket wheels and chain connection, a barextending from the axle to the jack shaft, the said bracket having aspherical enlargement, a block or plate having a cup shaped member toengage the said spherical portion having sliding connection on the bar,and means for adjusting the bar longitudinally with said slidingconnection to loosen or tighten the chain, substantially as described.

5. In combination, a drive or jack shaft, the rear axle, the sprocketwheels, the chain radius bar in relation to the said support and in adirect line with the centers of the jack shaft and axle and a chaincasing supported on the radius bar, and maintaining its longitudinalaxial relation to the frame and radius bar in all adjustmentssubstantially as described.

7. In combination, the driving or jack shaft, the axle, the sprocketwheels and chain, the radius bar extending from the axle, a supportingblock, said radius bar having slideways thereon engaging the said block,one of the slideways being adapted to be sprung in relation to theblock, means for adjusting the radius bar and means for adjusting theslideway, substantially as described.

8. In combination with the jack or driving shaft, the axle, a radius baror reach extending between them, the sprocket wheels, a chain and brakemechanism supported on the radius bar, and means for adjusting theradius bar in relation to the jack shaft the axle and brake mechanismmaintaining their relative positions in all adjustments of the radiusbar substantially as described.

9. In combination the driving or jack shaft, the rear axle, the chainand sprocket wheels, driving connections, a radius bar extending fromthe rear axle to the drive shaft, a brake member supported on one sideof the said radius bar and operating means arranged upon the other sideof the radius bar and connected with the brake member through an openingin the radius bar, sub stantially as described.

10. In combination with ajack shaft and axle and the chain and sprocketdrive, a radiusbar extending from the axle to the jack shaft having'arecess on its inner face, a brake member on the outer face of saidradius bar, and operating means for the brake member located on therecessed face of the radius bar and connected with the brake memberthrough an opening in the radius bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEE S. CHADVVIGK.

Witnesses:

E. R. McCLEEsE,

FREDK C. EBERHARDT.

